Visitor numbers to Scottish attractions rose 5.5 per cent last year, with Edinburgh Castle proving the most popular, figures from the Association of Leading Visitor Attractions (ALVA) suggest.

ALVA figures suggest more than 1.5 million people visited Edinburgh Castle last year.

The highest number of visitors to free attractions was to the The National Museums of Scotland, where visitor numbers across the National Museum of Scotland (Edinburgh), National War Museum Edinburgh), National Museum of Rural Life (Glasgow) and National Museum of Flight (East Lothian) clocked up a combined 2,33 million visits.

The Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum in Glasgow also reported a 12 per cent increase in visitor numbers last year to 1.26 million visits.

Malcolm Roughead, chief executive of Scottish tourism body VisitScotland, said the 2015 figures were “spectacular” and above the UK average.

“Our attractions play a vital role in Scotland's visitor economy, with accommodation providers, restaurants, cafes and numerous other businesses also reaping the benefits of this continued growth,” he said.